quote:

Originally posted by Drink Coca-Cola!:
Plus, I'm not sure when Isaac Brock wrote one great song. Modest Mouse is one of those bands I could never get.

harsh words there Cola. MM is an aquired taste.

I second Bruce Springsteen. Also, Holland-Dozier-Holland well wrote over 100 great songs. Stevie Wonder, Tom Petty and Van Morrison.

quote:

Originally posted by Maximum Jack:
Do you like music?

Not really. I'm only here for the smörgåsbord and free beer.

Springsteen would probably be very close, if he hasn't already surpassed 100-- he's not the most prolific artist. Tom Petty too. Van Morrison really lost me after about 1974.

I was wondering when someone would mention some of the pure song-writing teams of the 50s and 60s.

quote:

Originally posted by Drink Coca-Cola!:
Radiohead would make a 50 list I would say.

I come up with about 35 solid tunes by the Head. Bush league

Fugazi, certainly.

quote:

Originally posted by ~DANNY ARCHER!~:
harsh words there Cola. MM is an aquired taste.

I know man an I am all about aquired tastes. I've just never been able to get into them. They get so much respect from you knowledgable indie folk, that I have tried. Oh how I have tried. They are my band I don't "get". Everyone has one. I have a friend who thinks the Strokes are the most overrated band of all time.

Also, are we discussing "great" songs here? That is such a heavily weighted word. I think we are referring to the same thing here, but I can't take "great" seriously. Only The Beatles have accomplished 100 great songs, I believe.

quote:

Originally posted by Drink Coca-Cola!:

Also, are we discussing "great" songs here? That is such a heavily weighted word. I think we are referring to the same thing here, but I can't take "great" seriously. Only The Beatles have accomplished 100 great songs, I believe.

You and Bhob need to get a room

As much as I adore Radiohead, in order to put them down for 100 great songs, you would have to include Pablo Honey and all their B-sides. The Bends through In Rainbows + "True Love Waits" and In Rainbows disc 2 only = 79 songs in total. They're not quite there yet.

I think it's a pretty short list for me.

Definites:

Bob Dylan
Leonard Cohen
Tom Waits
John Darnielle
Will Oldham
Jason Molina
Neil Young

Closing In:

Bill Callahan (Smog)
David Berman
Bruce Springsteen
Stephin Merritt

The guy who I think will get there by the end of his career is Red Hunter of Peter and the Wolf. He is a very prolific songwriter (he released three albums last year) and a great undiscovered talent.

quote:

Originally posted by Maximum Jack:

quote:

Originally posted by Drink Coca-Cola!:

Also, are we discussing "great" songs here? That is such a heavily weighted word. I think we are referring to the same thing here, but I can't take "great" seriously. Only The Beatles have accomplished 100 great songs, I believe.

You and Bhob need to get a room

I'm in 1215. It's got a spa.

I think we need someone to make a list at some point. So we can get an idea of just how many songs 100 are, and just how much you have to stretch the term "Great" to make it work.

I still stand by my previous list, but I'm starting to realize this is a lot bigger milestone than I first considered it to be.

quote:

Originally posted by Shadrach:
I'm starting to realize this is a lot bigger milestone than I first considered it to be.

Seriously, take Leonard Cohen for instance. You'd think a guy who has been writing and recording music since the 60s would be a shoe in. But he has barely released 100 songs.

I'll second Malkmus. even if you don't like his solo material, I'm pretty sure he wrote more than 100 songs for Pavement.

I'll add Mark E Smith as well.

quote:

Originally posted by Nobody6:
I'll second Malkmus. even if you don't like his solo material, I'm pretty sure he wrote more than 100 songs for Pavement.

I'll add Mark E Smith as well.

Yeah, see I agree with you. But try and list them. And then see how far you get before you start listing "really good" songs, and then "sometimes good" songs, instead of just "great" ones. Pavement could get to about 50 I bet before you started to compromise...

I think we should just start making some 100 song long lists.

Sun Ra.

Caetano Veloso is fairly close. Last year's Ce got him quite a bit closer.

If I were feeling super ornery I'd say Edward Ka-spel. But no, sorry Legendary Pink Dots...

I'll second Mark E. Smith, with nods to Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, Holland/Dozier/Holland, Lou Reed and Dylan, of course.

quote:

Originally posted by Shadrach:
And then see how far you get before you start listing "really good" songs, and then "sometimes good" songs, instead of just "great" ones. Pavement could get to about 50 I bet before you started to compromise...

I think we should just start making some 100 song long lists.

I agree with you, Shad. Writing 100 songs and writing 100 "great" songs are two different things. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't make it to a 100 on Dylan or the Stones (both of whom I love) before I started listing songs that were just "good" or "not bad".

Joni Mitchell.
R.D. Burman (the great Bollywood composer. Probably wrote about 1000.)
Nobuo Uematsu.
Tom Waits.
PJ Harvey.
Shiina Ringo.
Lennon/McCartney.

Kate Bush, almost. (she only has about 100 songs on record.)

Lennon/McCartney
Elvis Costello
Nick Cave
Neil Finn (Crowded House)
XTC
Depeche Mode (1984 - present)
U2 & REM are so close, but I'm afraid the qualifier "great" would hold them a few songs beneath.
Tori Amos

Yeah, making a list of a hundred great songs is too limited. I love the idea of this forum, however, merely listing a top 100 of any artists songs will often peter out, until by the end, you are scraping the barrel for songs and just listing songs because they are better than others. Making a list of 100 songs that are notable and inspired, and that you feel strongly about is already a massive accomplishment. I saw a book the other day of the "Top 100 Bruce Springsteen Songs". I only have a few Springsteen albums, but clearly its publication was warranted to the perspective of the author. Even Bob Dylan would be scraping the barrel. There aren't many artists even to make a worthy list of a hundred songs. For instance, I adore Stephen Malkmus but after the first three Pavement albums he has been pretty spotty, and even on those three, how many constitute as GREAT songs?